CYNOBRANCHIUS, Costa, 2018

SUBGENUS CYNOBRANCHIUS SUBGEN. NOV.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D998F949-2024-4D4E-8679-D93B66345DF7

Type species: Fundulus microlepis Vinciguerra, 1897 .

Diagnosis: Deep oblique notch on dorsal surface of premaxillary ascending process [6.1] (vs. absence); teeth short and conical on outer row of dentary [16.1] (vs. fang shaped); basihyal triangular, broad [38.1] (vs. primarily subtriangular, narrow, sometimes pentagonal or rectangular); anterior extremity of ventrolateral process of urohyal much posteriorly placed to dorsal process [42.1] (vs. in close proximity); anterior portion of anterior ceratohyal distinctively directed upwards [44.1] (vs. approximately horizontal to slightly directed upwards); presence of three branchiostegal rays attached to anterior portion of anterior ceratohyal [46.1] (vs. two); proximal process of third epibranchial distinctively longer than distal process [51.1] (vs. nearly equal); second pharyngobranchial wider than long in dorsal view [56.1] (vs. longer than wide); third pharyngobranchial teeth minute [62.2] (vs. well developed); dentigerous plate of fourth pharyngobranchial sub-rectangular, extending above third epibranchial [63.1] (vs. rounded, limited to area between third pharyngobranchial and fourth epibranchial); numerous gill-rakers on first branchial arch, six or seven on dorsal portion, 18–20 on ventral [65.2] (vs. one to five + 8–15); vomer teeth absent [72.1] (vs. present); presence, in males, of widened structure on lateral portion of genital region, suggesting pumping mechanism [115.1] (vs. absence of similar structures); anal fin, in females, long, its length measured between middle base middle distal margin about twice anal-fin base length [123.1] (vs. equal or slightly longer); pelvic fin, in males, long, reaching anterior portion of anal fin [126.1] (vs. short, not or barely touching anal fin); and presence, in males, of dark grey bar on suborbital region [132.1] (vs. absence). Also distinguished from other Nothobranchiini , except species of subgenus Nothobranchius by: anterior process of opercle long, rod shaped [37.1] (vs. short, rectangular).

Etymology: The name Cynobranchius is an allusion to the superficial resemblance between species included in this new subgenus of Nothobranchius and species of the South American aplocheiloid genus Cynolebias Steindachner, 1876 (from the Greek cyno = dog, taken from the name Cynolebias , and branchius = gills, taken from the name Nothobranchius ). Gender masculine.

Included species: Three species have been recognized as valid: N. bojiensis Wildekamp & Haas, 1992 , Nothobranchius fasciatus Wildekamp & Haas, 1992 and N. microlepis (Vicinguerra, 1897) . However, their limits are still unclear, because morphological characters used to diagnose them overlap greatly among the proposed species ( Wildekamp & Haas, 1992), indicating that a taxonomic revision of this subgenus is needed.

Distribution: Coastal basins of southern Somalia and Kenya.